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Board denies carport setback variance at 917 Woodmont Boulevard
Summary
The Board of Zoning Appeals denied a variance Jan. 15 for a carport built within the 20-foot side-street setback at 917 Woodmont Blvd, finding insufficient evidence of a hardship tied to the lot's physical characteristics.
The Metro Board of Zoning Appeals denied a request Jan. 15 from Baxter Lee for a variance to allow a carport erected inside the 20-foot side-street setback at 917 Woodmont Boulevard.
Lee told the board he had built a modest carport to remove vehicles from a blind corner and that he relied on inaccurate survey information when the structure was erected. "My goal from the beginning was to be a good neighbor," Lee said, explaining he struggled to get a surveyor earlier in the process.
Opponents raised concerns not only about the carport's encroachment but also about stormwater and impervious-surface changes on the lot; one neighbor said a previously existing rain garden had been removed and warned of worsening flooding downstream. Codes staff noted the only code violation before the board was the carport's location; stormwater staff had signed off on a drainage modification in 2023.
Board members looked for a property-specific hardship and concluded the applicant had not shown the level of unique physical constraint required to grant a setback variance. The board's motion to deny carried (reported vote: 4 in favor of denial, 0 opposed, 1 abstention). The denial requires rectification or other remedies under code.
